Archbishop_Laud Reviews

Panic in Year Zero! (1962)

A Camping Trailer along The Road

[7/10 · 29 March 2024]

I hadn't heard of this movie until I found it on the Criterion Channel. I aways liked Ray Milland, who also directs here. This is a small budget affair that tries its best to hide it. We don't see much of the atom bomb attack or any of LA. It's a bit like The Road, though it's not as harrowing.

Milland is a stern patriarch who does what it takes to keep his family alive. He anticipates how desperate and evil other people will become. Jean Hagen (wife) isn't ready for this. Frankie Avalon (son) - whose hair looks great even in the worst of times - is perhaps too ready for it. Mary Mitchel (the daughter) isn't much of a character.

I feel like if they made this today, it might be a softer film. More explicit, but softer. They'd try to either make Milland kinder or have him suffer for his hardness. In the early 60s, the lessons learned were more grim. Do what you gotta do to survive.

The Long Goodbye (1973)

Altman-Gould at their best

[9/10 · 9 February 2024]

This is my favorite of the Robert Altman-Elliott Gould collaborations and it holds up well (much better than M*A*S*H). Typical for Altman, everything is loose. The viewer doesn't feel force-marched down the road of the plot. The technical skill is present, but it's not showy.

Gould is at his best, and much of it is him by himself, talking to himself even. He looks completely out of place in early 70s California, but that's the point. The supporting cast is strong, especially Jim Bouton and Sterling Hayden in one of his last significant performances.

There are times when this plays for satire, but it never gets to the point where we don't take the story seriously. Ending is excellent.

Reign of Terror (1949)

It somehow works

[8/10 · 12 July 2023]

Half the fun of this movie lies in the amazement that it somehow works. The Reign of Terror as Film Noir by a director known for Westerns? Silly opening credits? Corny ending?

Mann is clearly a skilled director, and shows he knows how to play with shadows and lighting. He even manages to make black-and-white blood look red. The plot has the requisite tension. And the villains are great. Basehart is imposing as Robespierre, while Arnold Moss is loyal to no one (and he knows it) as Fouché.

This is great fun. Admittedly, our hero (played by Robert Cummings) is a bit bland. But that's often the case with these things. The villains are the point.

The Outfit (2022)

Over-plotted

[5/10 · 31 May 2023]

The acting is fine, especially Rylance, who again is able to combine apparent meekness with strength and smarts all at once. Dylan O'Brien really nails down the old-school mobster vibe. I also appreciate that the film is all done in one setting (and not just for reasons of budget... it works well this way).

However, there are a few moments early which I found to strain credulity. Eventually, the plot twists are just too much. It turns a subtle film into something else entirely. It seems the screenwriters wanted to put everything into the pot. And much of out was cliche.

There's also a lot of 'talking the plot' going on and several flashbacks.

Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery (2022 TV Special)

Good ending

[6/10 · 17 December 2022]

This isn't really that funny until the last five minutes, the scene where they guess who the killer was.. Until then, it's a lot of hammy improv stuff (talk in French, pretend you're Bulgarian). The unscripted element pays off at the end though ("He was a quarterback and then he was Santa").

I do like that it is short, though, And there really was a mystery after all. I didn't pick up on any of the clues and neither did the actors (or neither did Jason Bateman, who was the only one there for the key interview). Bateman himself delivers a few good lines (like when he chastises Davidson for laughing at the fake character name).

True Story (III) (2021)

Entertaining

[7/10 · 29 August 2022]

This is definitely entertaining and has good cliffhangers at the end of each episode. True Story doesn't overstay its welcome. A lot of shows would have stretched the denouement into another episode. This wraps up shortly after it ends.

I've never be a big Kevin Hart fan, not hater. He playing a variation of himself, and is an interesting enough guy to carry it. Snipes does pretty much all the real acting here (I thought the side characters could have been better). On the downside, the whole thing is a bit crazy. The lead character (Hart) isn't always easy to defend. The tone is kind of uneven in that regard. And I personally guessed a big plot twist very early on. Maybe you will too.

Money Heist (2017–2021)

Just don't watch every season

[7/10 · 8 July 2022]

Personally, I think they should have wrapped it up in one season. It's exciting and tense at first, and most of the acting is excellent, but then it just spins its wheels. They keep the heist itself ongoing for too long just to keep the personal relations going, As other reviewers have said, it becomes a soap opera in a weird setting. And I didn't have anyone to root for.

The Cheap Detective (1978)

Just not that funny

[4/10 · 1 January 2022]

If you are of a certain age, you'll have fun watching the cast (Falk, DeLuise, Tayback, Vigoda, James Coco, Madeline Kahn, etc.). But it just isn't funny. Very broad comedy that offers little but recognizing the allusions.

Good Omens (2019– )

such promise...

[6/10 · 24 November 2021]

After the first episode, I loved this. But that didn't last. The truth is, the backstory is more interesting than the story going forward, and the two leads are the only interesting characters. Would have been much better if it were just Sheen and Tennant in a sort of cop buddy show.

Masterpiece with Alan Titchmarsh (2016–2017)

Congenial British game show about old objects

[7/10 · 14 September 2021]

Found this on the Roku Channel and it's fairly enjoyable. It mostly comes down to guessing the value or age of old objects (coins, books, stamps, pop culture memorabilia, statuettes, cars, clothing, etc.). It's low stakes (1,000 GBP first prize) and all fairly congenial. Recommended if you're into the subject matter or just like British stuff.

Upstart Crow (2016–2020)

Sitcom done right

[8/10 · 31 August 2021]

Unlike many TV comedies nowadays, this embraces the traditional sitcom formula, laugh track and all. The twist is the subject matter, and it's very clever and funny. Mitchell (the lead) is great. Shakespeare is presented as a pretentious guy (especially by his family) from humble origins. The jokes are mostly a combination of anachronisms and stereotypes of the past ("saucy prancings").

The Spanish Prisoner (1997)

Good until...

[7/10 · 31 August 2021]

Mamet work that is a lot closer to House of Games than to Glengarry Glen Ross (which used up all the swear words; there's none here). If you're okay with Mamet's way with dialogue and line reading, then the only real complaint is the terrible ending.

Mapleworth Murders (2020)

Everyone tries too hard

[5/10 · 16 August 2021]

The problem is that every character is over the top. I kind of like the lead, but you need to surround her with normal characters. You need someone straight to react to the crazies.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed (2009)

Contrived but tense and surprising

[7/10 · 15 June 2018]

The movie is limited by the small number of characters and set locations. It's a bit contrived and perhaps a bit exploitative. It certainly has its twists and surprises, which are the fun of it. Heck, even the title of the film is a spoiler.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Dusty Drawer (1959) Season 4, Episode 33

Old York

[7/10 · 26 November 2013]

This is Dick York's second appearance on AHP (three more to come). In his first, he played a wise guy. This one seems a little more natural for him. I have to say, he really gives me a Jim Carrey vibe.

In a bit of period detail, we have two men (with jobs, nonetheless) living in a boarding house. York wants to get his vengeance on a stuffy bank teller. We only hear about and don't see the original transgression, and I think this is what made me sympathetic to the bank teller. The revenge goes too far, but we are also made to see that York's character has no selfish motive beyond that. The story also seems unrealistic, the way the gun is handled.

Ultimately, it plays for kicks, and is fairly effective at that. By Season 4, AHP risked repeating itself, and this episode at least isn't guilty of that.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Right Price (1959) Season 4, Episode 22

Honor Among Thieves

[8/10 · 11 November 2013]

This is one of the better episodes of the season. Sure, it's comedy rather than suspense, but it's funny. Eddie Foy Jr. plays a thief but isn't entirely convincing. He comes across as an old vaudevillian, which is what the actor really was. His performance carries the episode.

It turns out the man whose home he is robbing (a) has nothing of value and (b) hates his wife, so they cut a deal. I love the casual cynicism the show exhibits about marriage. 1950s style grumbling about wives, but I don't think it is , ultimately, sexist. This is AH dark humor at its best.

I'm not sure if the plotting would hold up, but it's all in good fun, and there is a nice twist ending.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Out There - Darkness (1959) Season 4, Episode 16

Could make a crow blush

[8/10 · 31 October 2013]

I think this is worth seeing just for Bette Davis. The episode is all about her, she never leaves the frame, and much of the time she is alone, talking to her dog. Much of her appeal wasn't so much her acting as it was the way she carries herself and (of course) the way she enunciates.

But here, Davis does a good job establishing her character in a short time frame. She's upper class, educated ("Shall I listen to a Brahms Intermezzo or a Haydn Quartet tonight?" -- I'd go with Haydn myself). She's clearly repelled by the working class doorman, but doesn't overdo it as many actresses would.

The story itself is tense not so much for the plot, but for those awkward scenes of personal confrontation.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: And the Desert Shall Blossom (1958) Season 4, Episode 11

Turd Blossom

[5/10 · 22 October 2013]

I thought this is one of the weaker episodes in the series.

First, the premise is a little strained: two old-timers have to grow a rose bush within a month to avoid being kicked off their land. The story proper begins when an East Coast crook arrives, needing transportation to Reno, 47 miles away. He flashes money around and bullies them. The problem is, there's practically no tension involved in his scene. What happens, happens. It's there just to set up the ending.

And the twist/joke ending isn't worth it. "It's a muracul," the sheriff says twice, but it plays rather flat (and we could see it coming).

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Return of the Hero (1958) Season 3, Episode 22

He won't fit in

[4/10 · 31 August 2013]

Another reviewer says the ending is obvious. This presumes you can maintain your attention throughout this dull episode.

We're in post war France and the setting seems a bit clichéd. There's an annoying lady singing and playing her squeeze box, and a pretty young woman who argues with her papa (accent on the second syllable). The accents are foreign but perhaps not all truly French.

Our protagonist (series regular Patrice Bergerac) wants to bring his crippled (that's the word they use) friend home. His wealthy family is unwelcoming. "Do you mean his presence will put a damper on our activities?", the sister asks her parents, in perhaps the most stilted line of dialog of the season.

The core story is, in fact, pretty good, but it's not executed well.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Guest for Breakfast (1958) Season 3, Episode 21

"This is the way a marriage should end"

[5/10 · 31 August 2013]

A couple bickering over breakfast is interrupted by a gun-toting killer on the lam (he rings the bell). They disrupt his plans by the mere fact that neither cares if the other one dies.

The acting trio isn't much. Compare this intruder to the menacing one played by John Cassevetes in Season 1. For his part, the husband reminds me of Phil Hartman in one of his comic roles. There are some nice period details ("my wife doesn't drive"), but the whole thing rings of contrivance. The husband in particular acts as though this sort of thing happens to him quite often. Even worse, the ending is out of sorts for the show.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Young One (1957) Season 3, Episode 9

She can't be all bad

[6/10 · 17 August 2013]

A few things make this episode stand out. First, it was directed by Robert Altman (he did a lot of TV before turning to film). Second, Hitchcock takes his deadpan post-episode commentary to new heights (depths?), but to further explain would require spoilers. I laughed out loud.

This is a bratty girl episode, of which the series gave us several. Carol Lynlee is fine, I think, but teenagers were so much different back then, it's hard to rate for realism. There are interesting period details. E.g., the local soda shop owner and police officer both look out for her at the request of her Aunt.

It's not a great episode, and the lead character is certainly annoying, but it's not bad.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Mail Order Prophet (1957) Season 3, Episode 2

Should be required viewing...

[9/10 · 11 August 2013]

...in every school in America.

This is one of my favorite episodes. We get to see a couple of disgruntled office workers, one of whom (E.G. Marshall) begins receiving "psychic" letters encouraging him to bet on events (election, title bout). Jack Klugman is a rationalist co-worker who tries to convince him it's a racket.

Could the mail order prophet be legit? It's hard not to wonder where this is going to lead. They even throw in office theft to up the ante. Not to give anything away, but I found the ending very satisfying. Plus, Klugman and Marshall are great to watch.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: A Man Greatly Beloved (1957) Season 2, Episode 33

The Man Next Door

[4/10 · 3 August 2013]

This is perhaps the my least favorite episode to date. The main character (who narrates straight into the camera) is annoying in the way little girls so often were back in the day. She missing a front tooth or two (how cute!) and has ridiculous curls and won't shut up. If this isn't bad enough, we get a second bad character, a nervous old lady neighbor.

The main story is about how the girl befriends an older male neighbor who is new to town. Given this series, I expected dark things to cut through the super cutesy girl. I was disappointed as the ending is a dud.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Hands of Mr. Ottermole (1957) Season 2, Episode 32

The Hands of...

[7/10 · 1 August 2013]

Hitchcock sends us to England for a Jack the Ripper type tale. I think they overdo the Britishness a bit for the sake of American audiences ("Wonder what she's got for Tea? Kippers.")

The killing(s) are shot from the perspective of the strangler, which is a nice directorial touch. However, it's tough doing a whodunit in 25 minutes, because there's no time to introduce many characters. Of course, it also may be that the killer isn't someone we see.

But this isn't primarily a story of suspense (the title kind of hints at that). Instead, it is atmospheric and somewhat talky, with some philosophical discussions added in. I thought the ending was OK.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: One More Mile to Go (1957) Season 2, Episode 28

I was only going 35

[8/10 · 27 July 2013]

I agree with those who say this is one of the best episodes. Hitchcock himself directs, and begins with us spying on a couple from outside. They argue, he grabs a poker from the fire and bludgeons her to death. Now he has to dispose of the body. It's more than 10 minutes in before we hear anything other than the soundtrack (first a siren, then a voice).

The whole episode is an exercise in tension. It's hard not to find ourselves rooting for the protagonist (the killer, played by David Wayne), we've been with him from the start.

There are only two other characters, the police officer and a garage mechanic (still working at night). The ending is understated, as was often the case in the series.